Bhubaneswar: The capital city of Odisha Bhubaneswar, is celebrating its 76th Foundation Day today. Celebrations have started since 7:30 am said reports. The students from various schools and colleges in the city have taken part in programs held this morning. Later many of them shall participate in the cultural programme scheduled to be held in the afternoon.
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) had appealed to the residents to celebrate the Capital Foundation Day and decorate their homes on the occasion.
The population of the capital is growing and so is the development. That is why it has been recognized as the number one smart city in the country and the second most populous city in the country, making every Odia proud.
During the journey of the temple city in these 76 years there has been considerable change in the environment. The capital has turned from a green belt into a concrete jungle. From streets to food, people’s lifestyle has undergone a sea change in these 76 years.
The first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had laid the foundation stone of the city on April 13, 1948.
In the year 1948, there were only 14,000 people in the city whereas now the population has increased to more than one crore in Bhubaneswar. Bhubaneswar replaced Cuttack as the capital of the State, a year after India secured independence from the Britishers.
Famous German architect and urban planner Otto Koenigsberger prepared the city’s first master plan in 1948 for a population of 40 thousand. Since then, Bhubaneswar remains a celebrated model of modern architecture and city planning.
The name of the new capital originated from the Sanskrit term “Tribhubaneswara” or “Bhubaneswar” (literally “Lord of the Earth”), a name of Shiva the deity of the Lingaraj temple. The Legislative Assembly of Odisha was shifted from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar in 1949. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) was established on 14 August 1994.
